The Challenges of Infertility

A Biblical Framework for Responding Appropriately

C. Ben Mitchell

Assisted Reproductive Technologies

Infertile couples are confronted with an alphabet soup of options including…

Artificial Insemination (AI) – when a female has sperm directly placed into her uterus through her cervix.

AIH – AI by Husbands sperm

AID – AI by Donors sperm

IVF – in vitro fertilization

ICSI – Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

ICSI is when the head of a sperm is manually injected into the egg.

This is usually done when the male has a low sperm count or poor sperm motility.

Cytoplasmic Transfer

Sharon and Paul Saarinen. Four IVF cycles had already failed so they transferred cytoplasm prior to IVF and had daughter Alana

Ethics:

1.Birth defects are more likely if there are three peoples DNA in one embryo.

2. The problems with introducing a third party to the mix…

SurrogacyThis is a third party reproduction arrangement whereby a

woman agrees to become pregnant for the purpose of gestating and giving birth to a child for others to raise.

Often surrogacy is used if a woman can’t carry a pregnancy to term or by women who simply don’t want to go through a pregnancy. {Single men and gay couples also require surrogates.}

PGD – Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis

• The growing number of reproductive technologies raises and equal number of ethical concerns. Only those technologies that pass ethical muster should be used…

• Three considerations are:

1. The sanctity of human life.

2. The Biblical ideal of the family.

3. A Theology of Infertility.

1. Sanctity of Human Life

• At the moment human egg and sperm unite, a unique genetic individual is created.

• Every human individual is created in God’s image.

• Every human being is vested by God with inestimable value.

How does this impact our decision about reproductive technologies?

• Any process that violates the sanctity of human life does not pass ethical muster.

This includes…

1. Freezing/Destroying un-used embryos (IVF – What happens to the un-used embryos once the process is done?...)

2. Any time more than 2/3 embryos are implanted in a woman’s uterus, there is a substantially higher likelihood that one or more of those embryos will be put at risk of dying.

[Once embryos are created they cannot be uncreated.]

2. Idea of the Family in the Bible

• Ephesians 5:31 Monogamous marriage

• God’s ideal for the family is one man, one woman, in a one-flesh kind of union, for life.

• Any process that violates God’s ideal for the family does not pass ethical muster.

What procedures might violate God’s ideal for the family?...

• Surrogate motherhood – when a third party intrudes on the procreative relationship the divinely instituted structure of the family is altered.

• Commercial surrogacy – where a woman is paid to carry a child to term; reproduction is little more than a commercial relationship and the surrogate little more than a womb for rent.

• Egg donation and artificial insemination using donor sperm/eggs – a child is created from the union of a husband or wife with another person outside the marriage.

• Cytoplasmic Transfer techniques

3. A Theology of Infertility

• Just because technologies are available does not mean that they ought to be used.

• The sovereign Lord is the one who opens and shuts the womb One of the most assuring realities of the Christian faith is the purposefulness of God. He never makes mistakes, commits errors or judgment, or acts capriciously.

• It may not be God’s will for a couple to have children. (It doesn’t mean they are second class citizens…)

• Trials (infertility) enhance our relationship with God. They cause us to pray…

Evaluate the people in the movie18 Ways to Make a Baby

• Will Halm and Marcellin Simard and their children, Melina and Luc

• Darren and Ilysa Stupak and daughter, Sarah

• Anne and her daughter, Katie

• Laura and David May

• Arceli Keh and her daughter, Cindy

• Barbara Nastro and her twin sons, Gabriel and Luke

There are 500,000 frozen embryos in the United States

• How might we redeem (fix) this problem?

1. Understand the processes prior to having them done. Consider sanctity of life positions and God’s ideal for the family PRIOR to doing anything…

2. If you are infertile, adopt an embryo that has already been created…see next slide…